The communicative needs of Bangladeshi economic migrants: The functional values of host country languages versus English as a lingua franca (original) (raw)
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This report investigates the relationship between English language learning and economic development among workers from rural Bangladesh who emigrated to the Middle East in search of employment. It provides first-hand accounts of language and other needs of those living and working in contexts of this sort, and provides valuable insights which can feed into the design and implementation of English language education policies and programmes.
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Migration has become a vital element of the Bangladeshi economy, which has led to an increasing focus on providing Bangladeshis with the skills needed on the international labour market. English is often cited as one of these skills, and previous research has shown that a primary reason why Bangladeshis wish to learn English is due to its perceived value for pursuing work abroad (Erling et al. 2012). The extent to which English is of value in economic migration, however, has been underexplored in research (Coleman 2010). Drawing on data from a qualitative study which provides new insights into the experiences and perceptions of a cohort of returnee migrants, this article investigates the perceived value of (English) language skills for migration. The study finds that economic migrants see the advantages of having particular skills, especially English, for economic gain. However, applying a capabilities lens to their narratives (Sen, 1999) reveals the difficulties of classifying their experiences in terms of "success" given the deeply embedded structural issues and challenges the participants report facing. This article therefore questions assumptions that language skills can be transformational when social inequality is (re)produced in the context of migration. [192 words/200 limit]
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Introduction 2 General findings 3 Methodology 4 Case study 1: Mujabeen (female) 4.1 Background information ______________________________________________________________ 4.2 Using English since leaving school (socially and professionally) _______________________________ 4.2.1 At work ___________________________________________________________________________ 4.2.2 At home: __________________________________________________________________________ 4.3 Importance of English for getting a job/higher salary ________________________________________ 4.3.1 Status and value of English ___________________________________________________________ 4.3.2 Future importance of English for career prospects __________________________________________ 4.4 Reflection _________________________________________________________________________ 5 Case study 2: Sunrata 5.1 Background information ______________________________________________________________ 5.2 Using English since leaving school (socially and professionally) _______________________________ 5.2.1 At work ___________________________________________________________________________ 5.2.2 At home: _________________________________________________________________________ 5.3 Importance of English for getting a job/higher salary _______________________________________ 5.3.1 Status and value of English __________________________________________________________ 5.3.2 Future importance of English for career prospects _________________________________________ 5.4 Reflection ________________________________________________________________________ 6 Final reflections 12 7 References 13 Contents i UKFIET Conference, September 2015 English language and economic and social opportunity: Case studies of underprivileged Bangladeshi school leavers Can enhanced opportunities for English language learning ensure better life chances for underprivileged youth in Bangladesh? In order to gain insight into this question, this study presents case studies of four UCEP school leavers who have recently entered formal employment. UCEP (Underprivileged Children's Educational Programs) schools provide education to working children, who often have not previously been able to attend school, owing to poverty and the need to work to support their families. UCEP enables children to achieve exam success in the formal curriculum (which includes English), but also offers older secondary students skills development in relation to the workplace, leading to guaranteed employment for its graduates. Many UCEP English teachers participated in EIA professional development programmes with the result that they have endeavoured to introduce active learning approaches into their classroom practice. These case studies explore whether and how UCEP graduates use the English competencies that they have developed through EIA, and whether and how some of these uses have led to economic benefit for the individuals. Results indicate that English plays a role in gaining employment, but also has benefits in terms of esteem and promotion within the current workplace. Participants articulate a clear perception that good English skills will be key to new employment opportunities. The case studies also identify a number of significant challenges faced by these underprivileged graduates, despite the potential social and economic benefits accruing from competence in English. Cambridge Education is the umbrella brand name used for education work in Mott MacDonald and includes references to education work done under the names of Mott MacDonald or BMB Mott MacDonald.
John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2016
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Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, 2016
This article explores language experiences of three Bangladeshi migrant workers with low English proficiency in Australia through narrative inquiry. The narrative of each participant presents insights into the ways in which these migrants navigated through their work and social life, and developed social and communicative strategies to survive in the host country where English is the dominant language. Analyses of the narratives suggest that despite their limited English proficiency, these migrant workers were able to find ways to contribute to the host society and they felt satisfied with their lives in Australia. Although not generalisable, the findings call for taking a critical look at the prevailing assumption that without English language proficiency migrants cannot enjoy a successful life or ensure their social and economic wellbeing in the host society. At the same time, there needs to be a greater recognition of the role of migrants’ first languages in the new society. We a...
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AMBIGUITIES AND TENSIONS IN THE ROLE AND USE OF ENGLISH IN BANGLADESH
Over the past few years, there has been a revival of interest in the English language in Bangladesh with the government putting a lot of emphasis on the teaching and learning of English. There have been a plethora of initiatives at the macro-level to strengthen English language education in urban as well as rural areas in the country which are to a certain extent complemented by micro-level initiatives at the family level. Parents aspire for their children to master the English language and spend on private tuition according to their abilities to ensure that learners achieve good results in English and other subjects. Young people, on their part, are keen to learn and use English alongside Bangla, sometimes mixing them together in the same breath in ways that appear outrageous and ridiculous to a lot of people holding tenaciously onto rather conservative views about roles and use of language in national identity formation. Although there is a general consensus that Bangladeshis need English to move ahead in the context of globalization, how English should be used, where and to what extent are issues that are far from being resolved. English is viewed both as an essential lingua franca and a threat to the vitality of Bangla. English is also often blamed for the perceived corruption of Bangla in the media. This paper focuses on the ambiguities and tensions surrounding the roles and use of English vis-à-vis Bangla in Bangladesh.